Improvement in photographic backgrounds



l. BUCHTEL.

Photographic Backgrounds.

N0.145,487, Patented Dec.16,1873.

77625168898- fiZUeltZbi? UNITED STATEs PATENT OEEIoE JOSEPH BUOHTEL, OE PORTLAND, OREGON.

IMPROVEMENT IN PHOTOGRAPHIC BACKGROUNDS.

Specification forming part of Lettcrs Patent No. 145,487, dated December 16, 1873; application filed February 28, 1873.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osErn BUcnTEL, of Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented an Improved Background for the use of Photographers, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to a joint use of a mo vable plain background with an oscillating screen in front of it.

In the drawing, E is the frame for sustaining the various parts. B is a swinging background, and A an interposed screen in front of the same, hung on cords C from a projecting pin, D, said pin being securely fastened to the frame E. The part B is made movable on two pins in the vertical part of the supportin g-framc, and the top or bottom edge may be pulled forward or backward, as the operator may wish, for the following purpose, namely: By pushing the top backward, the angle of reflection is increased, and more light is thrown from it than when the opposite position is oecupied, the edge of the part B being more nearly parallel with the rays admitted to the glass room from the skylight. This position. of the part B is shown in the drawin The front covering of the part B may be perfectly white, or nearly so, but care must be taken that no light can come through it from the back. To prevent this the back of the part B is covered with some material through which no light can be transmitted, for, if any did so, the resulting tint of the face or front of the part B would be affected. It will be seen that by placing the part B at the proper angle its lightest tint will be given, and by inclining .it more and more forward, until the angle of total reflection is reached, the tint will be almost black; the photographer can in a moment make this one background go through all the shades, until the one fitting the dress of his sitter, the power of the light, &c., is reached. He can also make the vertical sides of it darker or lighter by turning it around in a horizontal direction on the floor. This will make the right or left side of his picture dark or light, at his pleasure, and which effects may be still further augmented by the use of side screens hung on hinges to the uprights of the frame. In front of the part B is a frame, A, covered with gauze or netting in two or three thicknesses, as may be required, but still sufficiently open to allow the light reflected from B to come through it easily. This netting is used to cause a peculiar atmospheric effect, and also to tone down the reflected light. To this gauze or net covered frame A, hung on the cords O, a pendulous motion is given by starting it with the hand or proper clock-work. Nothing more, however, than the kind of suspension shown will usually be necessary, except for long exposures, when clock-work may be more desirable. Several scenic effects can be made by attaching proper objects to the moving screen A, or by being hung on the part B, at any point desired, as a piece of gray paper attached to the gauze A will represent a cloud, or a painted frame represent a window, when employed in the manner suggested.

Having d eseribed my invention, what I claim as new 1s-- 1.. The background for photographic use, composed of. the parts A, B, O, D, and E, constructed and combined for operation sub stantially as described and shown.

2. The gauze or netted screen A, interposed between the object to be photographed and the part B of the background, when arranged to be oscillated, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JOSEPH BUOHTEL.

Witnesses FAYETTE GORE, OnAs. B. TALBOT. 

